Generation history
Kia Telluride generations and next redesign.
The Kia Telluride has been through 2 generations, starting in 2020 and 2027. The gaps were 7 years, an average of 7.0. The pace has been steady. The current generation began in 2027. On that cadence the next full redesign points to 2033 through 2035, centered on 2034. This is a projection. It comes from the model's own past redesign years, not from the manufacturer. A mid-cycle refresh usually lands in between. Public records describe the current generation this way: The second-generation Telluride was revealed online on November 10, 2025. Specifications, trims and the NHTSA safety record are on the Kia Telluride model page.
Every generation
The Kia Telluride, generation by generation.
| Generation | Code | Years | What changed |
|---|
| First generation | ON | 2020–2027 | The production version of the Telluride was launched at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in January 2019. |
|---|
| Second generation | LQ2 | 2027–present | The second-generation Telluride was revealed online on November 10, 2025. |
|---|
The Kia Telluride spent 7.0 years per generation on average. The current one is -1 years old. Treat 2033 to 2035 as a range, not a date.
Source: Kia Telluride (Wikipedia). The estimate is our arithmetic on those start years.
Open the Kia Telluride model page for specifications, trims, safety record and answers.
In more detail
What each Kia Telluride generation changed.
First generation, 2020 to 2027
The production version of the Telluride was launched at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in January 2019. Previously, the Telluride was displayed as a customized version inspired by fashion designer Brandon Maxwell's Texas-inspired collection, at New York Fashion Week in September 2018. The overall design is similar to the 2016 concept except for the front end which was completely redesigned. The Telluride is the first Kia designed specifically for the US market, with the design work handled at the Kia Design Center in Irvine, California.
Second generation, 2027 to today
The second-generation Telluride was revealed online on November 10, 2025. It made its official debut 10 days later at the 2025 LA Auto Show on November 20, 2025. Deliveries commenced in early 2026 for the 2027 model year while the 2026 model year was entirely skipped. On February 24, 2026, the first Telluride Hybrid rolled off the West Point assembly line, marking the 5,000,000th vehicle assembled at the plant, the first hybrid Kia to be assembled in the United States, and the first second-generation Telluride to be produced.
Generation notes adapted from Kia Telluride (Wikipedia).
Today's Kia Telluride
What the current generation is, and how it has held up.
Kia Telluride at a glance
- Production
- February 2019 – present
- Model years
- 2020–present
- Class
- Mid-size crossover SUV (E)
- Body style
- 5-door SUV
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive or front-engine, all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive
- Chassis
- Unibody
- Predecessor
- Kia Mohave/Borrego (North America)
- Related models
- Hyundai Palisade
NHTSA rated the 2025 Kia Telluride overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.
Recent recalls (5 campaigns across the latest model years)
- June 2026, Seat Belts:Front. Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles. The driver seat belt emergency locking retractor may lock, causing the seat belt strap not to extend. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal… Consequence: A seat belt strap that does not extend can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- March 2026, Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Anchorage. Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly. Consequence: A seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- February 2026, Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride vehicles, equipped with power front seat(s). Due to a manufacturing error, the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may fail to properly restrain occupants in a crash. Consequence: A seat back frame that fails to properly restrain an occupant during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Owners filed 24 complaints with NHTSA for the 2027 Kia Telluride, most often about seat belts (7), power train (6), seats (5).